Goa Assembly amends law, Drinking, cooking on Goa beaches to attract imprisonment, fine

Now drinking alcohol or cooking in public places in Goa will attract imprisonment of three months or fine of Rs 2,000 as the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed amendments to the Goa Tourist Place (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001, which prohibits drinking alcohol, cooking in public places, including beaches and breaking of glass bottles in public.

The amendment, tabled by State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, was aimed at protecting and preserving tourism at places having tourism potential and keeping those places clean and free from nuisance.

The Act has apparently been amended following criticism of inaction against tourists creating nuisance in the state.

The state cabinet had approved the amendment to the Registration of Tourist Trade Act on January 24, 2019.

The amendment has come at a time when number of tourists visiting the coastal state has dipped over the last few years and also there have been talks of lack of ''quality tourists'' visiting the state.